LETTERS
OF
PEREGRINE PICKLE
BY
GEORGE P. UPTON.
"This, That and the Other."
CHICAGO:
THE WESTERN NEWS COMPANY,
121 and 123 State Street.
1869
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by
THE WESTERN NEWS COMPANY,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the
Northern District of Illinois.
Printed by J. Waddington,
121 Madison Street, Chicago, Ill.
To My Wife,
WHOSE
Sympathy and Encouragement
HAVE CONSTANTLY WELCOMED AND FOLLOWED
THESE LETTERS,
This Volume
IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.
PREFACE.
THE contents of this book originally appeared inthe columns of the Chicago Tribune, in theform of weekly letters, over the nom de plume of"Peregrine Pickle," devoted to matters of gossip and interestin the world of amusement. Necessarily, much ofthis matter was of an ephemeral nature, which perishedwith publication. Many of these letters, also, were devotedto topics of a purely local and temporary character,which, at this present date, would possess no interest.I have, therefore, taken care to preserve only such partsof them as have a general bearing, and have arrangedthem under appropriate heads, with dates at the end ofeach, as a matter of convenience and reference.
These letters were commenced in the early part ofthe winter of 1866-'67, and have, therefore, reachedthe very respectable age of nearly three years. Likeother children, they are old enough to go alone, and Itherefore send them out into the world, richly endowed[vi]with my blessings, which is all I have to give them.Should they succeed in the world, I shall be profoundlyastonished, as they were born amidst the press andhurry of other editorial duties, and they came into theworld scarce half made up. Should they fail, I shall atleast have the gratification of showing that Lytton Bulwerwas in error in regard to the lexicon of youth.
The characters—Old Blobbs and Mrs. Blobbs, Aurelia,Celeste, Mignon, Blanche, Boosey, Fitz-Herbert, andthe Maiden Aunt—whom the reader will find in thesepages, may be real or not, as the reader fancies. None ofthem are willing, however, to have me divulge their realnames, as that would destroy the little mystery whichenvelopes our breakfast gatherings, and would put usill at ease when talking with the reader, as we hope todo for some time to come, through the columns of theTribune. Meanwhile, if the reader knows any lar